Potato-digger



(No Model.)

- O. W. ASHLEY.

POTATO BIGGER. v

No. 324,743. Patented Aug. 18. 1885.

W/T/VESSES l/VVE/VTOH By Ja Aftorney: M

N PETERS. Pholo-ljhugrapher. Washimflon. D C

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PATENT CHARLES \V. ASHLEY, OF GHATHAM, NEW' YORK.

POTATO- -DIGGER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 324,743, dated August 18, 1885.

Application filed Julie 13, 1885.

To aZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES XV. ASHLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chatham, in the county of Columbia and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Potato-Diggers, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to an improvement in potato-diggers; and it consists in the peculiar construction and combination of devices that will be more fully set forth hereinafter, and particularly pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a potato-digger embodyingmy invent-ion. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same, partly in section. Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the scoop.

A represents a beam having the handles B and transverse beams O O. The beam 0 is at the rear end of the beam, and the beam 0 is at a suitable distance in front of the beam 0, and is inclined on the beam A, as shown.

The scoop D is made of steel or chilled iron, and is shaped as shown, being curved sub stantially in an arc of a circle, and is suspended from and secured to the beams O O by rods F F, which are pivotally secured at their lower ends by bolts or screws G to the sides of the scoop. The upper ends of the rods F pass through the outer ends of the beam 0, and the upper ends of the rods F pass through the outer ends of the beam 0. These rods are screw threaded and are provided with clamp nuts, which bind against the upper and lower sides of the beams. The front side of the scoop is provided with a forwardly extending shouldered ledge, d, to which is bolted a removable point, H, having a cutting-edge, and a central sharpened projecting tongue, h. This construction enables the point to be removed and replaced by a new one,when it becomes worn or broken, at very slight cost. The bottom of the scoop and of the point is inclined rearwardly at about an angle of fifteen degrees, and on the bottom of the scoop, at the center thereof and parallel with the line of draft, is bolted a sole or runner, I, which bears fiat on the bottom of the trench or furrow made by the scoop, and thereby keeps the scoop at the proper (No model.)

angle with regard to the land. By bolting the runner to the lower side of the scoop the runner is made removable, and when it becomes worn or broken can be taken off and replaced by a new one. v

To the under rear side of the scoop are sccured the rearwardly'extending screen-fingers K, the function of which is to separate the potatoes from the roots and the dirt as they are sweptrearwardly over the face of the scoop, when the machine is in operation, by sifting the dirt and the roots and allowing the same to drop through between the fingers, while the potatoes drop off the rear ends of the fingers onto the ground, where they can be very readily picked up. The fingers K are provided with eyes at their inner ends, through which eyes pass bolts k, that secure the fingers to the under side of the scoop. These fingers can thus be removed and replaced when broken.

By means of the pivotal threaded rods F F and the nuts on the latter the beam A can be adjusted to any desired angle with relation to the scoop, as will be readily understood.

A potato-digger thus constructed is light, cheap, and simple, gathers all the potatoes in the row without the least injury to any of them, and deposits them, cleared of adhering earth and roots, on the top of the ground.

Having thus described my invention, I claim The combination, in a potato-digger, of the beam A, the transverse beam 0 at the rear end thereof, and the transverse beam 0 in front of beam 0 and secured to beam A in an inclined position, with the curved scoop having the detachable point, sole, and fingers, and suspending-bars F F, pivoted to the sides of the scoop and passing through the ends of beams O G, and nuts on the threaded ends of the bars for clamping them to the beams, sub stantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own Ihave hereto affixed my signaturein presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES W. ASHLEY.

Witnesses:

'lnAnLns A. Wnn'rwonrn, WILLIAM H. SHAVER. 

